Washing the mud from Queensland, one load at a time

For the second time in less than two years, a muddy stain has been left on those across parts of Queensland. But as communities mop up, volunteers ready to wash down walls or do a load of muddied washing are helping to lighten the load.

There's something about being a Queenslander, or identifying as a Queenslander that invokes a certain sense state-based patriotism, that is riddled with pride and selflessness.

And we never see it more than when people in our 'Queensland' community are down.

But it doesn't seem to be something that most feel a need to apologise for, on the contrary, it becomes something that unites communities; it becomes a pillar of strength for those people left dealing with the commanding forces of nature.

For the second time in less than two years, a muddy stain has been left on those across parts of Queensland. But as they mop up, they're propped up by volunteers - some who've travelled hundreds of kilometres to be there; others who understand and see the need for lightening the load of thousands who now find themselves with little more than a few soiled belongings.

That sense of pride and selflessness is responsible for grassroots initiatives like Baked Relief and Adopt-A-Wash, which have been revived during the most recent crisis in Queensland.

Elissa Churchward started the community-based online volunteer service for washing people's muddied clothes after the 2011 floods, and now, an almost too-soon two years later, the Facebook community page has relaunched, spreading to the communities north of Brisbane that have bore the brunt of ex-tropical cyclone Oswald.

"[In 2011] there were so many people out in the community who wanted to help, but couldn't go out and help with the mud army.

"It was overwhelming for people [who couldn't physically assist] to know what to do," she says.

Now, as the attention turns to towns like Gympie, Bundaberg and Gayndah Elissa says the need for volunteers in the community to pull together and "lighten the load".

She says getting a load of muddied washing on is probably not at the top of the priority list for those in flood-affected areas, but it is one small way that others can help.

"People have come out of the woodwork. People want to do something, and picking up someone's washing is their way of being able to do that."

Social media, of course, is this generation of volunteers' chosen communication channel, which Elissa believes is the reason the project has spread and is being noticed in the communities in need.

"I received a call from a woman in Bundaberg last night; her daughter in Brisbane saw the Facebook page and told her about it. I've got a woman in Maryborough ready to go.

"It's just one load of washing. That's it, and you've made it a lot easier for [someone]."

Co-ordinating the project from Brisbane, Elissa says groups like Adopt-A-Wash need support from local government and aid organisations dealing with the aftermath of the latest crisis, to relieve the load on other recovery services.

"I think we need to get some local government groups to promote these community actions to those in need, because they're in those communities," she says.

But until that time Elissa says she'll continue to spread the word in the way she knows will work: social media.